Over the years, there has been a great deal of effort to develop trailers that accurately track behind a towing vehicle. In many industrial applications, pulling a train of trailers behind a towing vehicle to distribute parts throughout a large plant is common. It is quite important for the trailers to track accurately behind the towing vehicle in order to prevent the trailers from colliding with obstacles, particularly when the train of trailers is long. To achieve accurate trailer tracking, many trailer manufacturers have gone to a four-wheel steered trailer. The wheels are steered in response to tongue rotation. Typically, a system of steering linkages, and in some instances a combination of steering linkages and cable arrangements are employed to interconnect the wheels and the tongue. An example of an existing tracking trailer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,726 assigned to the assignee of the present invention which is incorporated herein by reference.
A primary disadvantage associated with existing trailer assemblies is the fact that the steering linkages and cable arrangements necessary for construction of a tongue to wheel connection increase the number of moving parts on the trailer, and increase the overall cost to manufacture the trailer.